This morning, an elegant and impressive show took place at Les Docks for theOrange announcement, presented by its Chairman and CEO, Stéphane Richard. A staging, with sober and stylish effects, was deployed for this long-awaited appointment, christened“hello!”
The program for this event included innovations, new features and education. In addition to a presentation of the 8 major innovations, and the new Livebox “play” from the incumbent operator, the 700 guests were able to discover the services of tomorrow, in an accessible language and with concrete demonstrations.
The keynote gave way to a real Orange “village”, with hubs around the themes of networks, data and communications; an area incredibly rich in information and discovery:
On the other hand, you’ll have to wait until the 1st quarter of 2013 to use these innovations at home, on your mobile or on the network; both the delivery of the new Play boxes and the roll-out of the new Joyn communication suite are scheduled for next February.
In the meantime, here are the 4 digital products/services that really struck a chord.
1. The new Play range of liveboxes, with a host of new features
These include: dual-Wifi, enabling the network to be used for two purposes, thus smoothing the flow of data. An integrated Blu-Ray DVD player for the “Play TV” version. An application that lets you control your box, plus a new remote control (for the TV model) that doubles as a joystick. And a catalog of over 120 games, with the quality and power of a console!
From tomorrow, you can pre-order it here.
2. joyn, a new communication standard for enriched, ergonomic uses
Based on the RCS (Rich Communications Suite) concept, this system will, among other things, enable calls (voice) to be mixed with the flow of various documents/files (data) in a conversation without having to switch.
Initiated by Orange and already launched in Spain, this service will then be rolled out across Europe, thanks to agreements with manufacturers. No need for a login or specific installation: joyn will be integrated into your mobile terminal. Other operators may subsequently adopt the same standard.
3. 4G, ultra-high-speed mobile broadband, for comfortable, efficient communication
Our friends in Marseille inaugurated 4G back in June. Since then, the cities of Lyon, Nantes and Lille have been covered by this new standard. In February, we’ll be able to take advantage of new packages that will give us access to H+ over at least 60% of the territory, and to this famous 4G with 10 times the speed for the cities mentioned above.
Watch a video or download an application on your smartphone in a matter of seconds! Comfort and quality, even on the move, that’s the challenge facing Orange, the first operator in France to obtain a license for this new network.
Stéphane Richard presenting 4G (photo credit: Eric Piermont / AFP)
4. NFC (Near Field Communication) made possible by Orange partnerships
This contactless data transmission system, known as NFC, is a revolution we’ve all been waiting for. As users of services such as payment, this technology will make our daily lives a whole lot easier.
By equipping its range with over 20 compatible cell phones, Orange is making it possible to move from concept to reality. However, it’s a pity that Apple hasn’t followed this strong need by equipping its latest iPhone 5 with NFC…
You can now pay for everyday services (parking meters in Strasbourg, nail polish in NailMatic dispensers, meals at McDonald’s, etc.) via your compatible phone, thanks to partnerships with leading banking brands.
As our host Stéphane Richard pointed out this morning,“innovation only makes sense if it’s simple, relevant and benefits all our customers“. We couldn’t agree more, because innovation means moving forward for tomorrow, to create, connect and communicate – the very essence of modern life…
You can watch the entire keynote on Dailymotion, and discover the 4 other new features I didn’t mention. Among them, the free conference call, a communication tool that will be available on the Facebook social network as part of a partnership just established.
And if you’ve also identified a product that will help you in the future, share it with us by leaving a comment!
Jessica Gauzi
Cette publication est également disponible en : Français (French)
